February 22, 2021:

In discussion with the staff at First Presbyterian Church (FPC), we have concluded that we will not be able to present any of the remaining 2020-2021 season Orchestra Series concerts at the church. We still hold out hope that our HHIPC BravoPiano! Festival will be able to take place, with the originally planned offerings, from June 4 through 12, 2021, with a final concert at FPC on June 12th.  Keep your fingers crossed!

In our discussions with FPC staff, we realized that their congregation and our subscribers (with which there is significant cross-over) are of similar persuasion when it comes to their hesitation to return to “normal” until they feel safe. We agree, and the health and safety of our patrons, performers, and volunteers will continue to be the primary driver of all presentation decisions.

So, where does that leave us? John Morris Russell, Mario Incorvaia, and I have created four new programs for the remaining Orchestra Series concerts; again, with reduced forces that will be performed without an audience and streamed from our SoundWaves at Coligny Studio.  The attached flyer provides all the details, with concert dates and times, repertoire, and guest artists.  Further details will soon be available on the HHSO website.

Though out of order, the original concert numbers (i.e., 1 through 9 with 1 in October and 9 in April) have been retained so that subscribers will know for which concerts they have purchased tickets.  Links to the private online pages where the revised programs can be enjoyed will be sent to ticket-holding subscribers and patrons who purchase virtual “single tickets” for each performance.  Each concert link will remain accessible for 14 days, until the next concert is streamed.

We hope you will beas excited as we are with the masterworks we have selected for these final four programs. Should you have any questions regarding the Orchestra Series or the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, please contact Administrative Manager Jim Way at the HHSO office, by telephone at (843) 842-2055 or by e-mail at jway@hhso.org.

Thank you for your continued support and for your patience as we navigate this very uncertain and constantly changing situation.

Sincerely,

Alan Jordan
President and CEO

You may view our currently planned season concerts here!

 

January 12, 2021:

Recently, we learned that First Presbyterian Church will remain closed to the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra and other outside organizations through the early part of 2021. We understand and concur with the church’s leadership on this position, as the health and safety of our patrons, performers, and volunteers is of paramount importance.

We are now forced to skip “Plan B” (which was to be abbreviated in-person performances with distanced audiences and distanced, reduced-size performing ensembles) and move to “Plan C.” Details of our revised January and February programs, determined to better ensure the safety of our musicians and operations staff, can be found by clicking on “2020 – 2021 Concerts” under the “Season” tab at hhso.org.

Subscribers who selected these concerts as part of their series will be provided with links to the private online pages where the revised programs can be enjoyed, streamed live from our SoundWaves at Coligny Studio beginning at 7:30 pm on the Monday originally scheduled for each concert pair. Pre-concert talks will begin at 7:15 pm prior to each concert.  We will also make available virtual “single tickets” for each performance for other patrons, as well as subscribers who wish to view a concert not part of their selected series.

While we are disappointed that we cannot present our full-orchestra concerts for you in person, we hope you will enjoy other great compositions that may be presented less frequently during normal times. We will share details about electronic versions of our concert program early in 2021, and we will let you know about our March and April programs sometime in January.

Should you have any questions regarding the Orchestra Series or the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, please contact Administrative Manager Jim Way at the HHSO office, by telephone at (843) 842-2055 or by e-mail at jway@hhso.org.

We are so grateful for your ongoing support and for your patience as we all try to navigate this very uncertain and constantly changing environment.

Sincerely,

Alan Jordan
President and CEO

 

September 2, 2020

We at the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra have been monitoring the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the summer, and continue to stay in contact with musicians, performance venues, nearby regional orchestras (with whom we share players), and others to figure out how to proceed with our 2020-2021 season. Given the ever-changing data, recommendations, and regulations, our “don’t make a decision until you have to” strategy has proven reasonable. But now, we are at a point where decisions must be made regarding the coming months.

Out of caution for the safety of our performers, audience, and staff:

  • Our planned outdoor pops concerts in Bluffton and on Hilton Head Island in late October have been cancelled, as both the Arts and Seafood Festival and Celebration Park grand opening events have been cancelled. We hope to be part of 2021 activities scheduled by both partner organizations.
  • Our Orchestra Series concerts in October and November 2020 are being rescheduled for May 2021. We are still working out the details with venues and performers and will announce the rescheduled dates soon by e-mail and on our website.
  • We are hoping that our Holiday Pops concerts will be able to be presented in some fashion (no one wants a Holiday program in June!) and are working to see what will be safely possible in early December.
  • We have no re-start plans in place yet for in-person performances at SoundWaves; however, we will continue with our weekly Monday SoundWaves Streaming Live concerts to include, mostly, live performances but, also, an occasional reprise of past HHSO and HHIPC presentations.

Obviously, further developments may require additional changes to our plans. We will make every effort to keep you informed of these changes.

Single tickets for all HHSO 2020-2021 season performances will go on sale at a later date.

Please refer to our website, at hhso.org, for the most up-to-date information.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as the HHSO navigates this uniquely uncertain situation, and we repeat our sincere thanks for our community’s support: in the past, now, and in the future.

Together, we can look forward to returning to live, in-person, amazing musical experiences.

Sincerely,

Alan Jordan
President and CEO